Check Out All The Free Stuff Your Library Card Will Get You In St. Cloud

IT'S AMAZING WHAT FREE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH GREAT RIVER REGIONAL LIBRARY IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA

Most people in central Minnesota would be shocked to find out just how much our Great River Regional Library offers us for absolutely free. With 32 branch libraries within the Great River Regional Library System, they offer much more than books alone. Here is a list of just some of the services you can get for free through our Great River Regional Library system.

FREE LIBRARY CARDS

You may not think that a free library card is much to talk about, but you should think again. Great River's free library cards give you access to so much information, and it can be used in virtually any Minnesota Library you want to visit.

You're eligible to get one if you live in the following counties:

• Benton
• Morrison
• Sherburne
• Stearns
• Todd
• Wright

You can apply for an eCard online right now.  With this simple eCard, you can access a ton of digital resources available online through the Great River Regional Library System, including eBooks, eAudiobooks, and a multitude of online databases. Just look at the stuff you can access by having an eCard from Great River.

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ACCESS TO THE MINNESOTA DRIVER'S MANUAL

Do you or someone you know need to take your Minnesota Driver's test? Are you wanting access to the current Minnesota Driver's Manual? Look no further than Great River Regional Library. By clicking the link above, you have access to the most current Minnesota Driver's Manual available online.

FREE DRIVER TESTS FOR YOUR STANDARD MINNESOTA LICENSE

If you are looking to ace your driver's test, you have access to FREE videos ranging from easy to hard, to hardest, and even an exam simulator. Study with videos and more the following:

• Common and uncommon road signs
• Understanding Intersections
• Lane markings
• Traffic lights
• Blind spots
• U-Turns
• Highway driving
• Stopping distances
• Tailgating
• Parking
• Driving at night
• Passing other vehicles
• Distracted driving
• Lane changing

If you want to make sure you are prepared for the written and driving portion of your test, you can't find a better place for details.

INFORMATION ON AUTO REPAIR & VEHICLE MAINTENANCE

If you don't have anyone to help you personally learn how to care for your vehicle, everything you could possibly need to know about caring for a vehicle, from maintenance to repair, can be learned by visiting chiltonlibrary.com which can be accessed with your eCard.

CAREER AND BUSINESS INFORMATION

Looking for a new career? Or maybe you just want to freshen up your existing skills? Through the Career and Business Icon, you can find occupational exams, learn new skills, and read about regional business news and articles. Whether you are 20 and looking for a career choice, or 50 looking for something new to try, this is great, valuable information.

NEED HELP WITH HOMEWORK?

If your elementary, middle school, or high school needs help with their school work, the Great River regional library can help. Maybe your youngster finds algebra difficult? Visit the Homework Help page for your appropriate age group, and find games, puzzles, facts, descriptions, and more on topics from reading and math, to science and health, history and social studies, biography, animals, countries and states, current events, and even information about Minnesota.

SELF HELP LEGAL RESOURCES

Maybe you or someone you know can't speak English very well, or maybe you've had an accident, are contemplating divorce, or bankruptcy. By utilizing the free services offered through LawHelp.Org, you can free, sound advice to help you make decisions regarding your rights.

GENEALOGY

Have you wanted to dig into your history but don't have the budget for Ancestry.com? That's okay! Because through the Great River Regional Library, you have access to Ancestry for free! Yeah!  The library can help you find a grave, marriage, birth and death records, national records, and more.

LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE

Have you always wanted to explore new languages? Through Great River, you have 163 different languages to choose from.

MUSIC AND ARTS

Do you love music and the arts? Don't miss the funfilled free events that take place across our 32 different libraries with great musical acts, artists, comedians, magicians, and much more.

MOVIES, DVDS, AND CDS

If you ever wanted to listen to a CD, or watch a particular movie on DVD, like Avatar, and don't want to pay for a brand new disc just to watch it once, that's okay. The Great River Library has a huge selection of movies on DVD and Blu-ray, and just about any kind of music you can imagine on CD, including one of my favorite, Kacey Musgraves "Golden Hour," jazz, rock, blues, to acoustic, and much more.

TELESCOPES

Have you ever wanted to head out to the backyard on a warm summer night and look up at the sky above you? The library has really nice, big telescopes that you can sign out and bring home. Who knew?! Make sure you have plenty of room in your vehicle because it comes in a big garbage container!

"TRY IT YOURSELF" KITS FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN

Maybe you want to make jewelry? Learn to crochet, or maybe the kids just want to make some fun artwork?  The Great River library system has kits that you can take home to learn a new hobby.

ONLINE DIGITAL LIBRARIES

You know that you have access to books, books and more books right? You also have access to digital books, and there are so many digital libraries you'd never be able to search everything even if you tried. That means just about anything you want to learn about you can get from your local library.

JUST ASK A LIBRARIAN

Wondering what a good read for you might be? Trying to get your kids into reading? Ask a Librarian for help with book titles, research, and so much more.

MAKE COPIES

If you need a resume, documents printed for a class project, or just some study material from a book or magazine, your Great River Regional Library offers this service as well.

ARE YOU STARTING TO GET THE IDEA?

All of these things are available through the Great River Regional Library system, and there is so much more that I'm forgetting. Did I mention that there are no more fines for your books? Have I told you about Beanstack? Or have I mentioned that they have a book locker where you can pick up your books? Now that you know what's out there, what will you discover at your local library branch?